Literary Prizes and Awards

Abstract

Many writers compare stories to dreams, and though this analogy is especially apt, it is nevertheless certainly worth revisiting. Like dreams, stories enable people to synthesize lived experiences, longings, and emotions, distilling the intensity of these through symbolic representation. Also, stories that are well told work the magic of dream by immersing readers in the fi ction so effectively that this imagined space, its objects, and inhabitants feel convincing and true to life. But unlike dreams, which happen in spontaneous ways, fi ctional narratives are deliberately fashioned. With inspiration from Alice Munro ' s short story "Post and Beam," wherein a historic house provides the central metaphor for a character who discovers her life has been erected upon a faulty foundation of compromise and sublimation of self, perhaps composing story is more like constructing a dwelling than experiencing a dream. In fact, creating a narrative shares much in common with building a home with many rooms, closets and cupboards to intrigue and astonish both inhabitants and guests.Stories, while inspired by dreams, are the products of an intentional process of many steps -from blueprinting to fi nal touch-up -and like houses, well-constructed stories invite readers to live and breathe within their walls, traveling from room to room, or scene to scene, as they inhabit and experience, along with the characters, their distinctive architecture. Similar to a designed structure, story imposes a certain vision and order on what is initially imagined. In so doing, fi ctional narratives suggest that particular patterns defi ne what we experience, know, and dream about, and that we can interpret these patterns meaningfully. Early storytelling, such as mythology, folktales or biblical stories, often functioned as proto-science to explain A Companion to Creative Writing, First Edition. Edited by Graeme Harper.

The First Rule of Judging Club…: Inside the Saltire Society Literary Awards

“…This article, then, might represent a transgression of that 'rule', as we demonstrate some of the practices and behaviours (including our own) from inside the Saltire Society Literary Awards. As mentioned in Claire's email to the Society accompanying her draft blog, the Society does not require its judges to sign a 'gagging' clause like the Booker, but neither does it court controversy as larger prizes sometimes do (English 2005;Squires 2013;Driscoll, 2014;Flood, 2018c). Stevie's research at the Society was granted university ethics approval, the various interviews and meetings cited had consent from participants, and other documents quoted are either readily available in the public domain or accessible via the Society's archival holdings at the National Library of Scotland.…”

“…Book awards are a pervasive aspect of contemporary book culture, attracting substantial media and scholarly attention (Auguscik, 2017;Cain, 2018;English, 2004English, , 2005English, , 2013Flood, 2017Flood, , 2018aFlood, , 2018bO'Brien, 2017;Squires, 2007aSquires, , 2007bSquires, , 2007cSquires, , 2007dSquires, , 2013Roberts, 2011;Ramdarshan Bold and Norrick-Rühl, 2017). They confer prestige (English, 2005), generate marketing opportunities (Squires, 2007a), increase sales (The Guardian, 2012; Menon, 2013), and contribute to the early stages of canon formation (English, 2005(English, : 154, 2005Corse, 1996: 101).…”

Reading and ownership

“…Founded in 1968, the prize achieved great international prominence over the subsequent decades, not least in substantially pushing sales of literary novels, and creating expanded markets for 'quality' books, as was the founding intent of the award, with a seasonal, event-based approach to its marketing. 238 As such, the more literary end of the marketplace was also commercialised over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, creating a competitive environment and opportunities for bookshop promotion. Readers responded by buying winnersand indeed shortlisted booksin great numbers.…”

Die Hertzogprys vir drama: Griekse tragedie, Middeleeuse moraliteitspel of Negentiende-eeuse realiteit - die problematiek en uitdagings binne die drama-"industrie" en die invloed daarop by die toekenningsproses

“…Vir die "professionele smaakmakers" (kritici) is pryse 'n literêre barometer, en vir die literatuurgeskiedenis dien pryse as kanoniseringsmiddel. Galloway haal ook Squires (2013) The literary prize environment is one that continues to provoke debate. At the heart of any literary award are issues of literary value, taste and judgment, of representation and gatekeeping, and the uneasy equations of artistic and commercial value.…”